Lelouch of the Rebirth
by Nukdae
Summary: WARNING: -SUMMARY- SPOILERS. Peace under the watchful eye of Zero was at hand, but a new noble family wouldn't allow it to continue. 100 years after the death of Emperor Lelouch, Britannia is fully back in power under the new name of: Stadtfeld.
1. Prologue

**Once again, I will warn you if you didn't understand it in the summary.**

**WARNING: SPOILERS****  
MAJOR SPOILERS  
SPOILER ALERT**

**If you haven't read/watched Code Geass all the way through to the end of R2, then I will be spoiling all of that.  
If you have… read on. (Code Geass is awesome.)**

**Just in case you were wondering, there will be Lulu X C.C. pairing and a lot of OCs... well really just one main one...  
And no, not all of the chapters will be this short… this is just the Prologue.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass**

**

* * *

  
**

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth**  
Prologue_

Lelouch had gotten used to the darkness where his only company was the sweet voice of the green-haired witch. He was at peace, knowing he had made a difference and the world would be in capable hands. He allowed himself to drift, dreaming of familiar faces.

The sound of birds woke Lelouch from his dreams with a start. He sat up in bed and blinked, disoriented. _Wait, bed?_ He looked around, wondering how he got there in the first place. He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers and felt the small muscles contract. With growing panic, he threw back the covers and stepped down onto the floor, staring down at himself. He had a physical body!

As slowly as he could, afraid something was going to happen, he turned to the full-length mirror on the closed door. His geass red eyes reflected back at him. His eyes widened at his tousled black hair and pale, thin body clad in nothing but dark purple, baggy pajama pants. He carefully touched the skin where the blade had pierced him. His bare chest was free of scars, completely flawless. He looked the same as he did the day he died. He did die, right? Then, how was this possible?

"C.C.?" he whispered softly, wondering if he still had a mental link with her. He looked up at the ceiling, "C.C.!" He waited a minute, counting in his head to keep calm. There was no answer.

What day was it? How long ago did he die? While he drifted in the that darkness, he had lost all track of time. It could not have been that long ago, at least it did not feel like it. He turned back to face the room he had woken up in and spotted a miniature calendar on the corner of a desk by the window. Just as he picked it up to have a better view, he dropped it to the floor in utter surprise. The calendar was turned to the month of October. The year in the top corner of the page told him it was…

2118?!

One hundred years had passed!

* * *

**A/N - Now, I know that a lot can change in 100 years… like new technologies and stuff… but I'm not one for new technologies… all that's really gonna be different is the Knightmare Frame stuff, so don't expect hover cars or automated … everything.**

**Anyway… I've always wondered that if Lelouch used his geass on Suzaku to make him "live" then… what does he do about old age? He can't obey that, can he? So does he not age then? … I'm not sure if I want to include Suzaku in this story yet, so please tell me what you think so I can plan ahead. =D  
If not… I'll just flip a coin or something… but I want to hear your thoughts on it.**


	2. 1: Change

**You're totally right… I had forgotten about the Shirley thing…  
****Thank you for your insight on Suzaku! I've got a better idea now, anyway! =3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass (but don't we all wish .)**

* * *

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth  
**__Change_

After rummaging through the closet, Lelouch dressed himself in a plain t-shirt, jeans, a coat, and a hat. It may have been one hundred years into the future, but he didn't want to risk anyone recognizing him -- he was supposed to be one hundred years dead.

A glance out the window gave him a view of Ashford Academy. It looked as if it have been rebuilt; it didn't look like a school anymore, and he doubted it was.

To his surprise, Lelouch found a contact case next to where the calendar was. The case contained the same colored lenses he had used before to hide his geass. He put the contacts in and inspected himself in the mirror, still awed by the fact that he was alive. Now, he concerned himself with what he was going to do. What was there to expect on the other side of the door? How much had his world changed?

The room was clean and free of dust, which meant it was either cleaned regularly, or someone was using it. The supply of clothes in the closet told him that it was possible someone lived in the room, or at least slept there. So, where was this person? The clothes fit him well enough, the pants were just a little long on him.

Cautiously, he took hold of the door handle. Lelouch slowly opened the door and peered outside. It was just an empty hall. To his right, there was another door, to his left, stairs. Once the door to the room was shut behind him, he took the stairs, alert for sounds of activity. He decided that the first person he met, he was going to ask them about the past one hundred years, using his geass, of course, to make sure it still had the same effect and wasn't just for show.

At the bottom of the carpeted stairs, he could hear someone humming. Just stepping out of an elevator was a young maid with an armful of bed sheets. When she caught sight of Lelouch, she stopped humming and stared at him curiously.

Swiftly, Lelouch walked up to her with a smile. "Do you think you could help me with something?" he asked sweetly.

"And what would that be?" the maid replied, staring up at him.

Lelouch removed the contacts from his eyes, "I want you to answer all of my questions," he ordered, staring back at her.

"Alright," the maid said obediently, her expression becoming placid.

"What is this building?" Lelouch asked.

"An extension of the Black Knights' base where the high officers stay."

"What?" The girl began to repeat her answer, but Lelouch cut her off with another question. "Who is leading the Black Knights?"

"Zero."

"Where is Zero?"

The maid stayed silent, unable to answer. Lelouch sighed, cursing himself silently for being so hopeful. It seems he hadn't had contact with people in so long that he had forgotten how to stay indifferent to such things. He wondered who the new Zero was and if he was a capable leader. He thought of how and whether or not to reassume the title of Zero while another was still around somewhere. Perhaps he didn't need to. He returned his focus to the girl in front of him, reminding himself of his original objective.

"What has happened to the world in the past one hundred years?" he asked, careful to word his question correctly to obtain the answer he wanted. He listened patiently as she spoke.

From the story the maid told, he understood the gist of the situation. He was not happy.

Area 11 had gained it's independence with the help of Zero and Empress Nunnally, and had regained the name of Japan. But, what can happen once can happen again. A new family came to power and reestablished the former Holy Britannian Empire by force. The whole of the northern hemisphere was taken. Japan was renamed Area 11, and the peace was broken. Everything Zero and Nunnally had built up had fallen. Everything Lelouch had done was all for nothing. Everything the Black Knights had once stood for was shattered.

Once he replaced his contacts, he released the girl from his power and walked away with his head down, entering the elevator, while the maid blinked and looked around, confused. His presence there would go unnoticed. He had left the room he had woken up in the exact way he had found it, minus a few articles of clothing.

Lelouch would have preferred to stay and ask more questions, but his desire to get out and see the world for himself won over his curiosity about the Black Knights and the current Zero. He would concern himself about that later.

Lelouch discretely left the dorm where he had once lived in with Nunnally. There was no outside activity, but he didn't want to risk anything so he stayed as inconspicuous as possible. The academy may have been rebuilt, but everything else seemed unchanged, so he easily navigated through the familiar grounds.

The crater left behind by the F.L.E.I.J.A warhead was still there. Stairs had been added to visit a stone memorial erected at the center of the crater. The memorial looked chipped and worn with burn marks scattered around it as if several battles had taken place there.

Out of curiosity, Lelouch descended the stairs. He noticed that there were a few dead and dying flowers around it. Slowly, he circled around the memorial, reading the names that were still legible. The name Suzaku Kururugi stood out the most. Suzaku hadn't died -- or faked his death -- in the F.L.E.I.J.A attack, but his name was there, and so were others who were in the Black Knights who had survived to another day. Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Nagisa Chiba, Shinichiro Tamaki, Kento Sugiyama. Those names were as faded as the rest. Someone must have re-carved Suzaku's. Perhaps it was Suzaku himself. No… he wasn't one for vanity. Someone else then. Lelouch touched the memorial, remembering that day.

He tore himself away from his memories and walked away from the memorial and up a set of stairs located opposite of the former academy. He kept his head down as he entered a familiar street. There were a few people walking around, headed somewhere, or just taking a walk.

As Lelouch observed his surroundings, he looked up from under his hat as a young woman caught his attention. She was wearing a long, black leather trench coat. The bottom edges were frayed from brushing against the ground. She had her hands buried deep in her pockets. Her hair was elbow-length and dirty blonde and her skin was pale, but had a healthy glow. What caught his attention the most was the pair of dark sunglasses she was wearing and unapproachable aura she seemed to give off. Anyone who passed her gave her a wide berth.

Lelouch lowered his head, hiding his face with the bill of his hat, as they passed within inches of each other. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, the woman pause at the edge of the walkway. She was greeted a moment later by a very familiar green-haired witch.

Lelouch calmly took a seat on an empty bench and watched C.C. and the mysterious woman. He stared in amazement. Was C.C. actually smiling?

* * *

**A/N - Uhm… if you hadn't noticed… well… I kept changing the year in the prologue … At first, it was 2110... Then I changed it to 2112... Then I thought better of it and changed it to 2117... Then I wanted to add a year… so I did and now it's 2118... So it really is 100 years later… not just an estimate… I won't change it anymore, I promise .**

**I kinda wanted to add more to this chapter, since not much really happened, but I didn't want to make it too long… and it seemed like a good stopping point there… The next chapter will be more…action-y. BTW the woman talking to C.C. is my main OC… so she's mine… though, you can't really steal her based on her appearance, but still…**

**Anyway… Suzaku is dead… of old age… Lelouch was brought back to life (but I won't say how or why, yet) … C.C. is awesome with her immortality… so …what about Jeremiah? He's, like, a cyborg or something, right? He could live forever, right? … Just want to confirm all of the possibilities.**

**Oh, and, if you see any grammar mistakes or typos, please tell me. I hate it when I overlook them… I'll fix any mistakes you see if you point them out. Thanks! =D**


	3. 2: Chaos

**Thank you for your reviews, I feel loved =3 ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass  
Claimer: (in the A/N… I didn't want to spoil anything)**

* * *

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth  
**__Chaos_

At times it was easy, at others, Lelouch grew nervous for lack of cover as he tailed C.C. and the blonde woman. Following people was certainly harder than it looked. He was used to being the one that was followed, so it was easy for him to lose his own pursuers, but the other way around…

Lelouch was waiting for them to split up so he could catch C.C. alone and talk to her. He didn't know if the mysterious woman would turn out to be an ally or foe, and he didn't want to risk anything right now. What bothered Lelouch the most was the sunglasses. Why else would she wear such dark eyewear when it was not_ that_ sunny out? He came to the conclusion that she had geass. And C.C. was the one who gave it to her. He wasn't sure why that bothered him so much. He only believed that C.C. wouldn't want to make another contract with someone else after all they had been through together.

Too focused on keeping C.C. in sight, he bumped into a burly businessman who let out a string of curses as he dropped a file to the ground and paper scattered everywhere. As the businessman turned to Lelouch to yell at him, Lelouch removed his contacts and use his geass to order the man to forget Lelouch was ever there and that the wind had knocked his papers down. The man bent down and began to gather his things, cursing the wind, as Lelouch left him behind to relocate C.C. And, of course, he had lost sight of her.

He hurried to the next corner, looking around, worried that his only link to this new world would be gone. Luckily, they did not get far.

Lelouch spotted the blonde woman leaning against the wall of a pizza shop, playing with her cell phone. He hesitated. C.C. was probably inside the shop, but he didn't want to talk to her in there. They would not be alone; he'd have to worry about the workers and the other customers. If he waited for C.C. to come out, they still would not be alone since the woman was still hovering there.

The woman looked up from her phone at him. With the sunglasses, it was hard to tell if she really was looking at him or something else. But, what else could she be staring at? There were not that many people on the street as it was. When Lelouch began to approach her, she flipped her phone shut and pushed off from the wall to turn and face him.

"Why were you following us?" she asked in a voice void of emotion that matched her expression.

"Um, I wanted to talk to the girl you were with," Lelouch replied innocently, practicing his rusty acting skills.

"Oh, you were following C.C., then," she said nonchalantly, losing interest and dismissing his presence. The woman flipped her phone back open, apparently texting someone. C.C. came out a moment later with a slice of cheese pizza hanging out of her mouth and an open pizza box in her hands. She froze when she saw Lelouch.

Slowly, she finished the bite of pizza in her mouth and placed the unfinished slice back in the box, then she handed the box to the blonde woman who accepted it without question.

C.C stared at Lelouch, curiosity changing into surprise. She stepped closer to him and touched his face with her hands. Abruptly, she pinched his cheeks. Lelouch flinched away, rubbing his wounded face.

"What was that for!" Lelouch demanded.

C.C just blinked and calmly replied, "Oh, I was just making sure you were real."

"Of course I'm real!" Lelouch snapped. He hadn't felt physical pain in so long that it had surprised him. He had forgotten his sense of touch.

"If you want to come along, I'm heading over to the Base," the blonde woman said, interrupting their reunion. Without another word she walked off. C.C. looked at Lelouch, then back at the woman. She began to follow the woman, but walked slowly, to put distance between them. Lelouch followed, walking next to C.C.

"C.C., who is she?" Lelouch asked, indicating the woman with the sunglasses. "Why do you know her?" He wanted to know, he wanted C.C. to confess to making another contract.

"She's Chaos, a captain of the Reapers," C.C. replied.

"Reapers?"

"They're like the Black Knights, but more organized." C.C. looked up at him. "The current Zero isn't much of a leader, so the Black Knights don't have as much influence as they once had when you lead them," she added the last part in a whisper. "It's not _you_ who's Zero right now is it?" C.C. suddenly asked, looking concerned.

"No, of course not," Lelouch replied, taken aback. "So, why are you hanging around with … Chaos?" he asked, unsure what to make of the blonde woman's name.

"I met her last year." C.C. glanced at Chaos's back, making sure she wouldn't hear. "She was interested in the reason why her geass didn't work on me. She was very persistent about it and followed me around all the time," she explained in a low voice that Lelouch could barely make out. "At first I ignored her, but I got tired of that so we started to talk. Ever since… I guess we've become friends," she looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Lelouch blinked at C.C., surprised. _So she _does_ have geass_, he thought, but then he started to laugh, relieved that C.C. and Chaos were not bound by a contract. He had not had a good, light-hearted laugh is some time, even before he had died.

"Why… are you laughing?" C.C. asked blankly.

"Sorry," Lelouch calmed himself quickly, "I've just never heard you call someone your friend, and then there was that look on your face when you said it," he smiled at her. C.C. looked down at the ground, contemplating who she had called a friend in the past. She sighed and changed the subject.

"You know, I was a little worried about you, Lelouch. I hadn't heard from you for almost twenty years. I thought, perhaps, you had moved on and left me. And then you show up alive, out of nowhere. I was just so surprised I had to make sure it wasn't just a dream or a hallucination." She looked up at him innocently, "How are your cheeks?"

Without waiting for an answer she stepped in front of Lelouch and placed her hands on his shoulders. She kissed him on both of his cheeks.

"I'm fine, thanks," Lelouch said as she took a step back. C.C. only stood there, staring at him.

"If you get left behind, I'm giving this pizza away," the blonde woman called from a distance. C.C. whipped around, not happy about the treat on her captive pizza. She grabbed Lelouch's hand and dragged him with her to catch up with Chaos.

C.C. dropped her grip on Lelouch and snatched her pizza back from Chaos, then fell back a short distance to walk beside Lelouch again. She began to munch on her unfinished slice. Lelouch chuckled at her. He noticed that her personality had changed in the past one hundred years.

"Want a piece?" C.C. offered hesitantly. Lelouch had not noticed, but he was starving. He took a slice, but he made sure to eat slowly, he would not forget his etiquette, no matter how hungry he was. While he ate, he took notice of his surroundings. The street they were on was familiar. If his memory served him right… they were headed toward Ashford Academy. So when Chaos said "Base," she meant the Black Knights' Base. Since he had taken someone's clothes, he might be noticed, and that was the one thing he did not want. Perhaps he would get lucky, and the person who used these clothes was not there at the moment.

Chaos interrupted his train of thought by waving her phone and saying, "Euphemia says 'hi.'" Lelouch almost choked.

"It's Nina's granddaughter. She works for the Black Knights in the same position that Rakshata did," C.C. explained, quickly understanding why Lelouch had reacted the way he did.

Lelouch recovered and cleared his throat, "That makes sense," he said. Of course the Euphemia he once knew was dead, and there was no way she would be alive now. But, then again, he himself was alive when he should still be dead.

"By the way, C.C.," Lelouch said as he finished his food, "Who's the emperor right now? What his name? Is he of Schneizel's seed, or perhaps from one of my half-sisters?" He made sure he kept his voice low so Chaos would not overhear. C.C. took her time eating her third piece before looking up at Lelouch suspiciously.

"What?" Lelouch asked, wondering why she was looking at him like that.

"The 109th Emperor of the New Holy Britannian Empire is Roadan Stadtfeld."

Lelouch just stared blankly at C.C. "Stadtfeld? As in … Kallen's… How did that happen?"

"Don't worry, nothing bad happened to your sister," C.C. replied, starting on another slice of pizza.

"That's not what I asked. C.C.--" Lelouch was cut off, interrupted once again by Chaos.

"We're here," she announced in her bored tone, "Is he coming, too?" she asked C.C. who only nodded. Only then did Lelouch notice that they were now on the campus of the former Ashford Academy.

* * *

**A/N - XD C.C. and her pizza….**

**I had three different scenarios where Lelouch finally meets up with C.C. It was very hard to decide which one to use. I managed to narrow it down to two… then I rolled dice -- odds or evens XD**

**So anyway… Claimer: I own the Reapers … and Chaos. Well… to a limit, I own the Reapers… They're made up of characters I made in other stories that I never published… I just changed their names and history to correspond with Code Geass related stuff. They'll be introduced in later chapters, of course! ^^  
And don't worry, Chaos will be a more interesting character later on.**

**I'm not much of a math person so I kept hurting myself when I thought about how old everyone of the original characters were when they died… and when they had kids… and how old their kids were… and when **_**they**_** had children X[  
It was horrible… but I managed to get a rough concept of it… I think …**

**Please review! I love hearing… reading…? from you! Feel free to give me suggestions.**

**And, I think I will include Jeremiah in a later chapter... Not sure how, yet...**


	4. 3: Lineage

**…Okay, I lied… this chapter isn't that action-y… actually… I don't think any fights or anything is going to happen until, like, chapter five or six. But I'll make sure the in-between chapters are interesting so you don't get bored with me! ¬.¬**

**Though… I'm not that happy with the chapter… I rewrote it, like, five times -.-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass.  
****Claimer: Chaos and anything Reaper is mine.**

* * *

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth  
**__Lineage_

Chaos parted ways with C.C. and Lelouch, telling them to meet her in the hangar later. C.C. took Lelouch around for a tour of the Black Knights' Base. Several times, Lelouch tried to question C.C. about the emperor, but she was being very evasive. He eventually gave up, she would probably tell him later, anyway.

Ashford Academy had been rebuilt on the outside and remodeled on the inside. The classrooms had been converted into four person dorm rooms. The teacher offices were now private meeting rooms, all of them were empty of people. Clubrooms -- including the student council room -- were now assorted planning rooms. The was a war room with maps and simple strategies and battle tactics pinned to the walls and scattered on the tables. Currently, the occupants of the room were going through simulated Knightmare battles on several large computer screens. Another clubroom was dedicated to blueprints. The sign on the door declared the room "Research and Development II." There were blueprints and designs of different Knightmare Frames, weapons, armor, vehicles, as well as add-ons to the Academy everywhere.

A few of the uniformed Black Knights' came up to C.C. to ask if she was staying, or if she had decided to convert to the Black Knights. Whenever they questioned Lelouch's identity, C.C. swiftly distracted them, and they managed to forget about him. It was better that way. Lelouch was probably in history books as the most hated emperor and a traitorous Zero. He had to keep his identity a secret, which should not be much of a problem. He was only worried that someone might recognize his face, or perhaps worse, accuse him of being a closet raiding thief. But no one seemed to give his clothes a second glance, and he kept his head down, hiding his face with his hat.

"Ohgi, wait a minute. Take these, too."

Lelouch paused out of curiosity. He turned to see a woman that bore a resemblance to Villetta. Her hair was cut short and her skin was pale, but her eyes and the expression were the same. She was accepting rolls of Knightmare Frame blueprints from a man in a Black Knights uniform. She turned and spotted C.C.

"C.C., what are you doing here?" the Ohgi woman asked as she walked over to them, readjusting the paper in her overloaded arms.

"I came with Chaos. She wanted to check on her Knightmare," C.C. replied.

"Well, I'm heading over to the hangar right now," the woman said, giving Lelouch a curious sideways glance. "Do you think you can help me out a bit?" she asked, offering some of her paper load to C.C.

"I'll take some," Lelouch said, accepting some of the blueprints when he saw that C.C. was not going to give up on her task of eating an entire box of pizza.

"Thank you," the Ohgi woman said with a smile, which looked weird to Lelouch considering his memories of a stern Villetta.

They headed toward the former gym which had been added on to and converted into a hangar for the Black Knights' Knightmare Frames. On the way to the hangar, C.C. finished off her cheese pizza and handed off her empty box to a confused Black Knight -- probably a rookie.

"Give me one good reason! There's nothing wrong at all. I don't see it!"

"Euphemia…"

They came across Chaos, who was shaking her head, and a girl who was pouting.

"Where do you want these?" Ohgi asked. The girl turned, perking up at the sight of them.

"Tsune!" the girl came over to Ohgi and glanced over the papers she held. She went over to Lelouch and did the same. She took one of the rolls of papers that he was holding and looked over it.

"Put them over on that table," the girl said, keeping the one she had taken. Chaos cleared her throat loudly. "You hold on!" the girl huffed as she inspected the blueprint she had.

She was several inches shorter than Lelouch. Her hair was a light brown styled in a ponytail that reached her hips; it was tied back with a white ribbon and hairpins. She did not wear glasses, and neither was she soft-spoken and timid -- not like Nina at all.

Tsune Ohgi walked over to the indicated table and deposited her paper load on it. Lelouch did the same and then returned to C.C.'s side.

"I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later," Tsune said as she left the hangar.

"Okay, Tsune," Nina's granddaughter replied. After rolling up the blueprint in her hands, she rounded on Chaos, completely ignoring C.C. and Lelouch. "Chaos!" she said in an annoyed tone, enunciating each syllable in her name.

"Stop making changes to my Knightmare without consulting me first," Chaos said coolly, not at all phased by the girl's anger.

"I wanted to make it a surprise, but you're being ungrateful! I'm just trying to help! I know you prefer close combat, but it's always better to have an extra weapon just incase you ca not get close to the enemy. I made sure the metal was light so your agility and maneuverability wouldn't be compromised. What's so wrong with that!" Euphemia explained in exasperation.

While they were arguing, Lelouch was staring up at the Knightmare that apparently belonged to Chaos. It looked like a mechanical wolf instead of the usual humanoid structure he was used to seeing. The armor was painted a dark gray, the rest of the metal was a non-reflective black. Its front claws were long, sharp curved blades that looked made to rip through the metal of Knightmare armor. The jaw looked powerful enough to do serious damage with fangs that were similar to the claws, only smaller. The tail looked flexible, it was equipped with a spear-like blade at the end of it. A faded and worn white symbol of a Sagittarius arrow with batwings was painted on the hind left leg. The symbol might also be mistaken for an upside-down cross. The guns mounted on each of the shoulders seemed out of place and the topic of argument between Chaos and Euphemia.

Lelouch looked at C.C. to see if she would clarify. She saw the look he gave her.

"It's a Knightmare Beast Frame," C.C. said simply, "It's name is Mechlaw. All Knightmare Frames are equipped with A.I. systems, nowadays," she added as an afterthought. Lelouch turned his attention back to the Knightmare Beast. It was as tall as any standard Knightmare, but there were no landspinners. He supposed it just moved like a wolf would. The cockpit was built in place of the upper torso, wrapped in heavy looking armor.

"Give me the key and I'll show you exactly what's wrong," Chaos was saying, holding out her hand.

"Why? You're not going to try anything, like destroy something, are you?" Euphemia asked suspiciously.

"Not at all. My key?" Chaos waited patiently with her hand out. Euphemia hesitantly began to dig in her pockets. She pulled out a Knightmare key shaped like a crescent moon and handed it to Chaos. Chaos took the key and headed over to the Mechlaw, climbing a platform that allowed easy access to the cockpit. She opened the cockpit hatch, inserted the key, typed in her pass code, then descended the platform without getting in. A soft mechanical growl came from the Mechlaw as it powered up. The cockpit closed automatically and the greenish triangles it had for eyes brightened.

Chaos took her time to walk to the other side of the hangar where there was only empty space and turned to face them.

"Mechlaw," Chaos called from where she was. The Knightmare Beast reacted by turning its head to look at Chaos, the ears on its head angled to her position. Chaos waved her hand, beckoning the mechanical wolf to her. The Mechlaw turned back to facing forward and seemed to take note of the position of Euphemia and C.C. and Lelouch, as well as all other objects in the hangar. It took a tentative step forward, then paused. Its head swiveled from side to side, observing the guns that were mounted on its shoulders. They could hear the disapproval in its growl as it attempted to shake them off.

"Problem number one," Chaos said to Euphemia, indicating the Mechlaw's reaction to the added guns. Euphemia stubbornly crossed her arms, as if to say that it'll get used to it. Chaos shook her head. "Chlaw," Chaos's voice distracted the wolf's attempts as it was lifting its hind leg to kick the guns off. It reluctantly walked over to Chaos. She made a circle in the air with her finger. The wolf moved so it was standing behind Chaos instead of in front of her. It lowered its head, watching Chaos obediently.

"Extend your side blades, Chlaw," Chaos commanded the Knightmare Beast.

Out of the underside of the torso, a pair of blades flipped out to extend a few meters out from the main body, but they were obscured by the shoulder guns.

"Do you see now?" Chaos asked, pointing at the blades. "Your guns limit the length of the blades," she explained. The guns were protruding out from the shoulders so much that if the Mechlaw wanted to slash at something, part of the guns would get chipped off when hitting a target, as well.

"Since when were _those_ there?" Euphemia asked, completely surprised, "Why didn't you _tell_ me about them?"

"Was I suppose to?"

"Yes!"

Chaos shrugged and told the Mechlaw to retract the blades. It obeyed. She held her hand out to it. The Mechlaw began to lower its body to the ground, spreading its front paws apart so it could safely rest its head between them without touch the menacing claws. Chaos patted the machine's nose and began to inspect the fangs.

"While you're taking the guns off, you should sharpen these edges, they're a little dull," Chaos suggested.

Euphemia sniffed, "Fine," she said in defeat, "Take the key out."

"Why?" Chaos wondered, looking over at Euphemia.

"I don't want that thing running around without a pilot!"

"Chlaw wouldn't do that, he'll stay right here," Chaos said and walked over to rejoin C.C. and Lelouch. The wolf agreed with a growl, dimming the light in its eyes as if to say it was going to relax there for a while.

"If… you're sure…" Euphemia said uncertainly as she headed to an open room that was full of tools and dragged a toolbox out, hesitantly approaching the Knightmare Beast. Chaos's phone rang.

"Be right back," Chaos told C.C., pulling out her cell phone and walking out of the hangar.

"So who's your friend, C.C.?" Euphemia asked as she rummaged through the tool box. C.C. gave Lelouch a look.

"My name is Alan Spacer," Lelouch said, deciding that it was a bad idea to use his real name.

"I'm Euphemia Markos, head of research and development for the Black Knights. Nice to meet you, Alan. Are you a Reaper?" Euphemia said, giving him a smile.

"Oh, no, I'm only visiting with C.C.," Lelouch replied, returning the smile as he formulated a story in his mind so he could be ready to give false information if needed. Euphemia only nodded, not prying any further.

Suddenly, Euphemia gasped. "I almost forgot! We have that meeting tomorrow, between the Black Knights and the Reapers, don't we? I hope Zero will be back by then, he needs to be there. Where do you think he is?" Euphemia said, talking almost to herself and to C.C. at the same time. C.C. shrugged.

"He's probably facedown in a ditch somewhere, dead," Chaos replied, reentering the hangar.

"Don't say that!" Euphemia exclaimed, appalled.

"And good riddance," Chaos continued, ignoring Euphemia, "He's not much of a leader. He can barely manage to pilot a Knightmare. And he's obsessed with perfection, the meticulous brat would freak out every time his plans went the slightest bit different than he wanted them to."

"Chaos, that's not nice! He's our leader," Euphemia said, completely abandoning her tools and walking up to stand in front of Chaos. "Zero's very organized and knows what he's doing. He's pulled us through many troublesome situations," she said defensively. "By the way, who was on the phone?" Euphemia asked, curious.

"Oh, it was Fam," Chaos replied.

"What did he want?"

"He told me that my lieutenant has just been found, and that he's dead," Chaos said nonchalantly, as if death was not anything to worry about.

"No! Jinn? He's dead? How?" Euphemia asked, surprised and sounding worried.

"I don't know," Chaos ran her hand through her hair, "This is a pain, now I have to find a new lieutenant," she said, apparently not at all concerned about the dead Jinn.

"How can you say that? Aren't you sad?"

"I don't have time to be sad-- What are you doing?" Chaos was caught off guard when Euphemia jumped on her to hug her. C.C. and Lelouch exchanged looks.

"It's okay, Chaos, you can cry. Jinn was a good man." Euphemia said, patting Chaos on the back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Euphemia, get off," Chaos ordered, trying to pull away. From across the hangar, the Mechlaw let out a high-pitched yip, making Euphemia jump and in the process, she knocked Chaos's sunglasses to the floor. Chaos had been looking at C.C. for help, so nothing really happened. Lelouch did catch a glimpse of Chaos's geass red eyes, confirming what C.C. said before. Now, if only he knew what her geass power was.

Chaos shut her eyes and covered them with her hand. C.C. stepped forward to pick up her glasses before Euphemia stepped on them.

"Sorry!" Euphemia apologized, watching as C.C. touched the glasses to Chaos's hand. Chaos accept them and replaced them over her eyes.

"Finish up with my Mechlaw, I've got to return to HQ," Chaos said to Euphemia as if nothing had just happened. "Are you coming?" she asked C.C.

"We are," C.C. said, looking over at Lelouch.

"Okay… Call me and tell me when you'll hold a memorial service, I want to be there. Later, C.C. 'Bye, Alan," Euphemia said as she reluctantly returned to her work.

Chaos turned and left the hangar. C.C. and Lelouch followed.

* * *

**A/N: Knightmare Beasts…Just think of Zoids, only smaller and with the cockpit in the back, instead of the head. I can't think of a better way to describe them… I'm not much of a mecha person…  
More info on the Knightmare Beasts will be ****revealed**** later ^^**

**And the symbol on the Mechlaw is the Reapers' logo. Go to my profile, I have it as my picture if you want a better visual.**

**I do notice that Lelouch and C.C. weren't in this chapter that much… it can't be helped… Don't worry, there'll be chapters completely dedicated to those two, you just have to deal with chapters like these where Chaos is always around. ¬.¬**

**I couldn't think of a better name to use… so I just referred back to episode two of the first season and used Alan Spacer. He doesn't look like an Alan… maybe just a little? …I just didn't know what other name to use.**

**Next chapter, we'll take a look at the Reapers Headquarters and meet some of the other Reapers! =D**

**Review, please! =3**


	5. 4: Death

**A tour of the Reapers' Headquarters! =3**

**Not much goes on in this chapter… maybe a surprise or two, but I did put in a lot of explanations, though, so maybe one of your questions will be answered. ^^**

**It's a lot longer than I originally planned….**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass.  
****Claimer: Chaos and anything Reaper is mine.**

* * *

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth  
**__Death_

A driver wearing the same winged symbol that was on the Mechlaw on the upper sleeve of his jacket met them as they were leaving the Black Knights' Base.

"Captain," he greeted Chaos half-heartedly, apparently a little discontented about the recent death. Chaos took the passenger seat while C.C. and Lelouch sat in the back. The car was quiet on the way to the Reapers' Headquarters. Several times, the diver glanced in his rearview mirror to look at Lelouch. He seemed to want to ask about the stranger in his car, but wisely decided against it. If this stranger was with the Captain, then he must be okay.

They turned onto a road where there was nothing around but empty land and a dirt road. When they crested a hill, two standard-looking gray Knightmares came into view. They were guarding the entrance of a gate that stretched on for miles on either side of them. Behind the gate was a large, black building. A flag at the top of the highest point on the building bore the winged symbol. Greek letters spelled out "apocalypse" along the center of the symbol, from wingtip to wingtip.

The driver leaned out the window and identified himself and his important passenger, the Captain. One of the Knightmares moved to open the gate to let them pass. They were dropped off at the bottom of the stairs of the building. Compared to the Black Knights' Base, the building was much bigger with a larger plot of land, and it was obviously more organized since there were actual guards. At the former Ashford Academy, there was no such outside security; anyone could just walk right in - or out, just as Lelouch had done.

After the driver left them to park the car somewhere out of view, Chaos turned to Lelouch and asked in her bored tone, "Who are you, anyway? You look familiar." She tilted her head slightly in a questioning gesture.

Lelouch gave her a cautious smile, "I realize we haven't properly introduced ourselves," he held his hand out, "I'm Alan Spacer, a friend of C.C.'s," he said. Chaos looked at C.C. as if to ask for conformation.

"We knew each other from a long time ago," C.C. said, not really lying. "He'll be staying with me for a while."

Chaos turned back to Lelouch who patiently kept his hand extended. "I see," she said. Seemingly reluctant, Chaos shook hands with Lelouch, "I am the War Reaper Captain, Chaos."

"Your name is Chaos?" Lelouch asked.

"There are four Reaper Captains, each named for a Horseman of the Apocalypse: War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death. "War" isn't a very appealing name, and since war ensues chaos, that is what I am called," Chaos explained.

Before Lelouch could comment, the front doors opened and a tall man in a black cloak walked out to greet Chaos. He had dirty blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and dark green eyes. On the back of his cloak was the now familiar winged symbol.

"How are you, Chaos?" he asked in a cool voice.

"Does it matter?" Chaos asked back. The man smiled, amused.

"You should really lighten up, my friend," he said.

"I don't think so, Death. What happened to my Lieutenant?"

"I'm sure they have that information waiting for you, right now. Let's go and see," the man, who was apparently the Death Reaper Captain, turned to C.C. and gave her a polite bow and a smile, "Have a good day, Miss C.C." He placed a hand on Chaos's back and steered her inside.

When they left, C.C. turned to Lelouch, "I suppose you'll be staying in my room, _Alan_," she said. Lelouch offered an innocent smile.

C.C. showed Lelouch around the Reapers' Headquarters. Lelouch continued his charade and introduced himself as Alan Spacer to all who asked. There were five upper levels, a ground floor, and three levels underground. There were elevators as well as the optional stairs leading to each level. The lower levels consisted of research centers, planning rooms, and an infirmary. They also contained the Captains' quarters. The ground floor was mainly devoted to surveillance with meeting rooms here and there as well as a large hangar that extended underground as well. The upper levels were where the members of the Reapers slept, ate, and relaxed. C.C.'s room was on the very top floor at the end of an empty hall.

C.C. flopped down on her bed and cuddled with Cheese-kun as she watched Lelouch look around. The window gave them a view of the front gate they had come through. There were empty pizza boxes scattered around, mainly stacked on a desk that Lelouch sat down at. He cleared off the desk for some space, placing the boxes on the floor around him.

"Lelouch, what are you going to do now?" C.C. asked after a minute of thoughtful silence. Lelouch swiveled the chair to face her.

"What do I have to fight for?" Lelouch replied solemnly.

"Why not for the people? For the greater good?" C.C. suggested with a smile, not at all serious. Lelouch chuckled humorlessly.

"All of the work I did, it was all for Nunnally. Of course she's gone now, and so is the everything I left behind," he said sadly, "My hatred for my family is gone. My friends are gone. My subordinates are gone. I only have you, C.C. I just don't have a reason to fight anymore."

"Why not just because you can? So you can see what will happen. I'm sure there are things you wanted to do differently. Start over," C.C. said.

Lelouch regarded C.C. for a moment, thinking about what he had done and what he could do, and the change that could take place. "First," Lelouch finally said, "I need a cell phone. And a computer so I can catch up on current events." He seemed to imply that C.C. were to acquire these items for him. C.C. only nodded slowly, listening with interest. "The Black Knights seem leaderless right now. If the current Zero doesn't return, then it would be the perfect time to take them over and reform them," he continued almost to himself. He returned his full attention to C.C. "What I want to know is why the Black Knights and the Reapers seem so open about rebellion. They aren't being secretive. They're flaunting their flags around in broad daylight and their bases of operation aren't even hidden. What is this emperor doing? Does he even care?"

"'A sovereign without conspiracy is no sovereign at all,'" C.C. said, "That is what the emperor said once, when the Reapers went public."

"Are you going to tell me about the emperor, now?" Lelouch asked, "Why are you avoiding it anyway?"

C.C. blinked innocently, "You can look it up yourself. I just thought that if you didn't already know, you didn't need to find out from me."

Lelouch sighed, "Fine," he conceded. They fell into silence again as Lelouch formulated a plan. He thought about what he should do, if anything at all. He had nothing to fight for, but he also had nothing to lose. Oh, how he missed playing this game. "Tell me what you know about Chaos," Lelouch said to C.C. breaking the silence. He thought that she would make a good ally. She seemed competent and capable, geass or no.

"Why don't you ask her yourself? She'll answer your questions, I'm sure," C.C. replied as she slid off her bed.

"What is her geass power, then?" Lelouch said, deciding that it _would_ be better to ask Chaos directly about herself.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Didn't she try to use her power on you?" Lelouch asked, surprised.

"I came across her by pure chance. I heard yelling nearby and went to check it out. Chaos was just standing there, looking down at a few men on the ground in front of her. They were dead. Then, she turned to me, hearing my approach. She didn't have her sunglasses on, they were in her hand. She just stared at me for a few seconds, then asked me what I was and why her power didn't work on me. I'm guessing her power only requires eye contact, and can cause death, but I don't know what exactly it is that she can do. I've never seen her use it one anyone," C.C. explained.

"I see…" Lelouch thought, "Perhaps she can kill with just a look."

"It's not impossible," C.C. agreed.

"I'll have to be careful, either way," Lelouch decided. "Where are you going?" he asked as C.C. opened the door.

"Let's go wait in her room. Chaos can get you what you need," C.C. said, walking out of her room, still cuddling Cheese-kun. Lelouch got up from the desk, careful not to trip on any of the pizza boxes, and followed C.C.

They took the elevator down to the first underground level. The doors opened to the tall blonde man known as Death who was accompanied by a black-haired woman.

"Hello, C.C. Are you looking for Chaos? She's in room fourteen," Death said, cutting off the woman who was apparently talking to him. The woman glared up at Death, then turned her annoyed gaze on C.C.

"Oh, thank you," C.C. replied, ignoring the woman as she and Lelouch stepped out of the elevator and Death and the woman took their place, going up.

C.C. led the way to a closed door. On the wall beside it, "14" was written on a metal plate. C.C. opened the door to a dark room. The lights were off. Chaos was sitting at the table in the middle of the room, staring at a laptop screen. She was not wearing her glasses, they were sitting on the table next to the her laptop, but she did not even look up when they came in.

Chaos turned the screen of the laptop toward them before replacing her eyewear over her eyes. The screen showed an online news article with the headline _Lelouch vi Britannia becomes the 99th__ Emperor_. There was a picture to the side of the text of Lelouch in his white and golden robes on the throne.

Chaos did not look at them and did not say anything, and apparently was not intending to. She was waiting patiently for Lelouch's reaction. C.C. was not helping either, she just looked at him and shrugged. Lelouch quickly thought of his options. He could lie his way out, but with so much evidence against him, it seemed almost pointless. There was his geass, but as long as Chaos wore her sunglasses, that option was not really an option, especially if she could kill just by looking at him. The only thing he could do was tell the truth. He was hoping for an ally in Chaos, anyway. She probably would have found out eventually. The problem was: was she trustworthy?

Lelouch decided to play dumb, to see if he could get away with it. "What is this?" he asked after the moment of hesitation he took to gather his thoughts.

"I thought you looked familiar," Chaos stated simply in her bored voice. Lelouch cautiously stepped closer so he could get a closer look at the screen of the laptop. The page looked public, as if anyone could access it. Hopefully, no one else would look him up and figure out who he was. It would be best to limit his contact with people so this would not happen again and he would not be caught off guard.

"That _is_ an uncanny resemblance," Lelouch said with an innocent expression, "Wow, the 99th Emperor. That was long time ago."

Chaos turned her chair to face him completely. She stood up and took Lelouch's hat and tossed it onto the table. "So, that's _not_ you?" she asked.

"Of course not." Lelouch smiled at her, "If it was, I'd have to be over one hundred years old. And plus, didn't he get assassinated?"

"I worked as an interrogator for a long time a while back, so I can tell the truth from a lie," she said, crossing her arms, "I do have to say, you are very good at lying," she continued, "Even so, you _are_ still lying. Just tell the truth and get it over with."

Lelouch observed Chaos for a moment. It seemed there was no way out of it.

"Alright," Lelouch said finally, dropping his act, "And what do you plan to do with this information? What do you want?" Lelouch demanded, prepared.

Chaos tilted her head slightly, as if surprised by the notion, but her facial expression remained stoic. "Nothing. I was merely curious," she said. Seeing the taken aback look on Lelouch's face, she added, "I don't believe in blackmail. We should all be able to get by with our own morality and abilities instead of the faults of others." She shut her laptop and switched it off. She looked over at C.C. "Did you need something?" she asked her as she picked her laptop up.

C.C. looked at Lelouch, who was still trying to figure Chaos out, then she looked back at Chaos. "He wanted to ask you some questions and to request a phone and a computer," C.C. said.

"I'm heading to my quarters. You can come if you want," Chaos replied, heading out the door. C.C. picked up Lelouch's hat and handed it back to him.

"Don't worry, Lelouch, Chaos doesn't care for these things. You can trust her," C.C. reassured Lelouch with a smile. Lelouch put his hat back on and nodded.

"But, just in case, I _do_ need to have a backup plan," Lelouch said, leaving the room to follow Chaos.

Chaos was already all the way down the hall, about to turn a corner. Lelouch and C.C. walked quickly to catch up. They followed her down another hall and down a short staircase that led to yet another hall with a single door at the end. After Chaos typed in a pass code on the small console beside the door, the door slid open and they all stepped inside.

The room was spacious with a section of the floor in a lower area with three small steps leading down to it. The lower area was the only place with seating. There were two couches and an armchair surrounding a glass coffee table. There were two other doors in the room. One was open to reveal the bathroom. The other door was closed, and supposedly Chaos's bedroom.

A white cat was lounging in the armchair. It looked up when Chaos went down to the couches to place her laptop on the table. Chaos sat down on the couch and leaned back, pulling out her phone. The cat quickly lost interest and curled back up to sleep.

C.C. led Lelouch to the other couch and sat down with him. Chaos called someone on speed dial.

"Euphemia," Chaos paused, listening, "Tomorrow, before our meeting. You think you can make it?" She pause again, "No. Eight 'o clock, then." Chaos hung up without saying goodbye or waiting for an answer. She turned her attention to Lelouch.

"What's your real name?" Lelouch asked first.

"Why do you want to know? It's not important," Chaos replied as she texted on her phone. "What is your preferred color for a computer and phone?" she asked.

"Black or white, it doesn't matter. Since you know my name, I want to know yours," Lelouch said, making sure Chaos was not just trying to avoid his question.

"Kyr Rayvin," Chaos said as she flipped her phone shut and tucked it into her jacket.

"Kyr Rayvin?" Lelouch repeated.

"Just call me Chaos, I've gotten used to it," Chaos replied, adjusting her glasses.

"Alright, Chaos, what can you tell me about the current emperor?"

"The current emperor? One-oh-nine, Rodan Stadtfeld?"

"Yes, him," Lelouch confirmed, keeping the eagerness out of his voice. Chaos could provide better information than C.C. had offered, if she answered, that is.

"I can tell how much of an arrogant bastard he is," Chaos suggested. It was hard to tell if she was being serious or not because of her tone of voice which always seemed to sound emotionless, bored, and indifferent.

A second cat, a fat, fluffy calico jumped up beside Lelouch with a loud meow and large, expectant amber eyes. Lelouch looked at the cat and blinked. He had not taken Chaos as a cat person. The cat meowed again. C.C. lured the calico over to her. It protested with another loud meow as she picked it up, but it started to purr immediately once C.C. began to stroke it, scratching it behind the ears.

Lelouch returned his attention to Chaos, "I mean, tell me about his history. How did his family come to power?" Lelouch clarified.

Chaos did not reply immediately, thinking for a moment before answering. She ran a hand through her hair.

"The Stadtfelds had fallen out of favor with the Birtannian nobles a few years after… you died," she began. "They were not happy with their lowered status and strove to regain their position, for they were greedy for power and only cared about their social class. Near the end of the 100th Empress's, Nunnally vi Britannia's, lifetime, the Stadtfelds decided to take more drastic measures. They sent the Empress letters and threats, telling her to step down and let them take over. The Zero at that time did a very good job of protecting her, from what I hear. Eventually, old age got to both of them. A definite heir had not been determined since Empress Nunnally had refused to have children, so when she died, the Stadtfelds took the opportunity to redeem themselves.

"The position of Zero had switched hands at some point. And when the Empress died, the newer Zero was pushed into hiding by the Stadtfelds. The eldest son of that family took the title of 101st Emperor of the _New_ Holy Britannian Empire. He reconquered Japan. He even took over China and many more countries that had managed to stay independent before. The whole of the Northern Hemisphere fell to the 101st Emperor.

"The Black Knights were reorganized by the Zero who had gone into hiding, and another rebellion was starting. When One-oh-one began to succumb to old age, he passed his title on to his son who became the 102nd Emperor.

"One-oh-two only ruled for a few years before a Black Knight assassinated him. _His_ son became the 103rd Emperor, but retired early due to some illness, but he _did _manage to secure an heir who became the 104th Emperor. One-oh-four was assassinated by a citizen before he produced an heir, so his twin sister took over as the 105th Empress. She died in battle and her eldest son became the 106th Emperor who ruled for quite a while before he, too, was assassinated. The 107th Emperor, One-oh-six's son, retired and so his younger brother took over as the 108th Emperor.

"The 108th Emperor managed to live to old age. His son, Roadan Stadtfeld, took over after he died. The year the 109th Emperor was announced was when the Reapers were formed. We were mainly made up of former Black Knights who quit, not liking the ways of Zero, who had switched hands yet again sometime between One-oh-four and One-oh-five. A year later, we went public and occasionally associated with the Black Knights, who were starting to lose the respect of the people. The new Zero was a good leader, because he was too kind and showed too much compassion. Nothing got done. He got nowhere with his "non-violent peace plans." Just last year, Zero switched hands again, and now we've got some inexperienced brat running things. There doesn't seem to be any qualifications. I think it's a father-son inheritance, or something.

"Anyway, One-oh-nine probably saw that the Black Knights were falling apart and decided to take advantage of it. So he announced that he would acknowledge the Black Knights and the Reapers, probably just to provoke us," Chaos explained. She seemed to prefer to refer to the Emperors as numbers instead of names. Lelouch listened, interesting and trying to pull the most important information to store away for later reference.

Lelouch wanted to ask more questions, but was unsure of which to address first. He was glad to know that Suzaku had done his job well and had not let him down, and had also passed on the legacy of Zero. But, he was worried about the current Zero. If only he knew who he was, then he would be easier to manipulate, and Lelouch would be able to take over command of the Black Knights. Lelouch came to the conclusion that the Black Knights needed him and this new Emperor was not fit for the job. The world was at war when peace was needed.

As Lelouch gathered his thoughts, there was a knock at the door. It slid open without waiting for an answer. Death walked in with a briefcase.

"What did you need this for, Chaos?" Death asked as he joined Chaos on the couch. He placed the briefcase beside Chaos's laptop and opened it. From one of the inside pockets, he pulled out a new shiny, black cell phone and handed it to Chaos.

"Alan wanted them," Chaos said, nonchalantly, inspecting the phone and turning it on. She punched in her number before tossing it to Lelouch who managed to catch it right before it hit him, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"And who is Alan?" Death asked, eyeing Lelouch.

"My new Lieutenant," Chaos said, surprising both Death and Lelouch.

"Huh? Already? I've never seen him before, though. You're giving such a high position to a rookie?" Death stared at Chaos.

"He's not a rookie. And it's only temporary, of course." Chaos replied before Lelouch had a chance to defend himself.

"Of course…" Death repeated slowly.

"Are you going to leave, now?" Chaos asked as she leaned over to inspect the new laptop in the briefcase. It was white.

Death let out a slightly frustrated sigh, "I suppose. Have fun, then." He left, patting the white cat on the head on his way out. The white cat only huffed and returned to its dreams.

"Why?" Lelouch asked after Death was gone and the door was shut.

Chaos looked up. "Do you not want it? I would think you'd want to attend that meeting tomorrow, right? Only the heads of the Black Knights and Reaper Captains and Lieutenants are allowed to go," she explained, pushing the new laptop over to his side of the table.

"And you're helping me?"

"You're a friend of C.C.'s. And you seem interesting," Chaos said, "Besides, I'd probably end up killing you if you pulled another demon emperor on us, again."

Lelouch could not tell if she was joking, but decided to take her seriously. "Thank you, then," he said.

* * *

**A/N: I do hope some of your questions are answered…**

**Anyway… I'll post the next chapter early… in a few days… It's short… but I've made up for the shortness of the next chapter by making this one extra long =3**

…**Wow, four chapters, plus a prologue… and it's only been one day for Lelouch. o.o**

**Oh! I drew a picture of Chaos… wanna see? images . wolvenhart . net / cgff / chaoscomplete . jpg  
(get rid of the spaces)**

**Review! Yes? =D**


	6. 5: Zero

**_10/30/2009 EDIT: HOLY CRAP... I totally forgot to take Nunnally's age into account...  
You're right, I have too many generations of emperors..._****_  
Thanks for pointing that out....  
I don't even know how I'm going to fix that... T-T  
Pretend that it's really 150 years later? I dunno ...  
Other than that, it all adds up just fine... Emperor 101 took over when he was in his 60's... just do some guessing after that and it'll make sense. I only had one have a child when they were eighteen... which isn't that bad, considering it's a royal family...  
In my notes, everything adds up to one hundred years... except for Nunnally...  
Sorry about that!  
...time stopped when Nunnally took over? =D ... D= ? ...I don't even know... -.-  
If you want... I can take a few Emperors out and change the current one's number... the numbering isn't really anything important, so I can..._**

**_---_**

**XD I love reading your comments.  
****All of your questions will be answered soon enough in later chapters. ^^  
No need to rush things. I was**_** hoping **_**to make this story a bit suspenseful and mysterious. I must be doing a good job of that… X3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Code Geass.  
****Claimer: Chaos and anything Reaper is mine.**

* * *

_**Lelouch of the Rebirth  
**__Zero_

"Wake up."

Lelouch stirred and lifted his head, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Chaos stood in the doorway of C.C.'s room, apparently the one who had spoken.

Lelouch had been dreaming of darkness, expecting that everything that had happened had just been another dream and when he woke up, he would tell the green-haired witch all about it. He was starting to miss that darkness, his eternal punishment for the crimes he had committed.

Lelouch then realized that it was not a dream, and that he had taken his contacts out before going to bed and he was staring straight at Chaos. He was about to hide his eyes, but Chaos threw some cloth at him, covering his face.

"Your uniform. There's a mask and a hood. I suggest you wear those. Get dressed and come out back," Chaos said and then she left.

Lelouch pulled the clothes away from his face and saw that C.C. was already awake, stretching on her bed. He sat up on the cot he had slept on, positioned on the opposite side of the room from C.C.

"Get enough sleep?" C.C. asked. Lelouch had stayed up, probably too long, looking up information on the emperor, news about wars and rebellions, and even himself, on his newly acquired computer. Luckily, there were not that many pictures of him and even those were hard to find. It would be difficult for anyone to look up anything that could give him away. Chaos must have known where to look to find that news article. Not even he could find it.

"Probably," Lelouch replied as he got out of his cot and got dressed.

The Reapers uniform was a black jacket with a zipper down the front and black pants. The jacket had a hood on it, as Chaos said. There was also a black cloth mask that would hide the bottom half of his face. He had noticed that some of the Reapers he had seen yesterday were wearing the face mask or the hood, or both. He also noticed that all the other uniforms had the winged symbol on the upper sleeve, while this uniform had the symbol on the back, and his had a zipper, and the others has buttons. Death also wore the Reapers symbol on the back of his cloak, perhaps this uniform was designated for Lieutenants.

The uniform fit perfectly. He zipped up the jacket, having no shirt to put on underneath, and pulled the hood and mask on. C.C. came over to fix his collar and hand him his contact case.

"If I become Zero, again, will you rejoin the Black Knights?" Lelouch asked.

"If you want me to, of course. I'm sure they'll be happy to have me, they're always asking me to leave the Reapers. I only stay here because of Chaos, but now you're back," C.C. replied with a smile. Lelouch smiled back, but realized that C.C. could not see it because of the mask, and nodded instead. He put his contacts in and followed C.C. who led him to where Chaos was expecting them.

The "back" was a large, open-air auditorium with a raised stage at the front where seven people, Chaos and Death included, stood conversing. There were many others in Reaper uniforms gathered in front of the stage. Some were climbing on and off the stage, taking down decorations, or something. It seemed that Lelouch had just missed the memorial service that had been held for the former Lieutenant, Jinn.

Euphemia was among the crowd, and had spotted C.C. She waved and walked over to them. She looked up at Lelouch curiously, not recognizing him with the hood and mask on. "Alan? Is that you?" she asked, unsure. Lelouch nodded. Euphemia smiled happily.

"What's all this for?" Lelouch asked, referring to the people that were still crowded around the stage. The memorial service was over, so why were they still standing around?

"Oh, Chaos has to announce who her new Lieutenant is. Everyone's curious as to who will get the position," Euphemia replied. The she blinked and looked at what Lelouch was wearing. "It's you?" she asked, surprised. "What are you waiting for? Get up there!" Euphemia commanded as she pushed Lelouch toward the stage.

Lelouch reluctantly and cautiously walked up the stairs to the stage. Chaos turned toward him and the crowd slowly began to quiet. He faced Chaos and Death who were standing with two others wearing similar cloaks. There were also three others with uniforms identical to his. He guessed that they were the other Captains, paired with their Lieutenants. The black-haired woman that Death was with yesterday was a Lieutenant, but she was standing next to a hooded and masked Captain, who looked to be the oldest of the four Captains. The other Captain had a familiar expression and spiked hair, but Lelouch could not place it at the moment.

Lelouch stopped in front of Chaos, unsure of what to do and thinking that this was an unnecessary waste of time and would draw to much attention to himself. He was briefly glad of the presence of the hood and mask. Hopefully he would not have to take them off.

"State your name," Chaos said. The entire auditorium was silent and attentive.

"Alan Spacer," Lelouch replied confidently.

"Alan Spacer, are you prepared to fight for the weak, to take the risks needed to create peace? Will you aid our cause and join our ranks? Do you accept the title of Lieutenant?" Chaos asked, her bored voice projecting throughout the auditorium. She sounded as if she had said this many times, and was tired of repeating herself.

"Yes, I accept," Lelouch answered, hoping that was what was expected for him to say.

"Then, I, Chaos, War Reaper Captain, welcome you to the Reapers, War Reaper Lieutenant, Alan Spacer," Chaos announced. Everyone applauded as Chaos turned Lelouch to face the crowd. Lelouch could hear a few curious murmurs, but they were soon drowned out by cheering and congratulations.

~~---~~

The other Captains and Lieutenants introduced themselves as they all headed to the Black Knights' Base for the meeting. C.C. and Euphemia joined them as well. They rode in an inconspicuous van. It seemed that, although they were publicly acknowledged, they still needed to hide the fact that all of the resistance leaders of the Reapers were in one vehicle.

Death's Lieutenant was a short man, barely over five feet tall, named Hairo Tsukiami. His eyes and hair were black and he was a bit energetic.

The older looking Captain was Famine, or Fam for short, and his Lieutenant, the black-haired woman, was Misaki Strait, half Japanese and half Britannian. She seemed stern and was always looking for someone's faults.

The Captain with the spiked hair and the cocky grin was Pestilence. Chaos referred to him as Pest while the others called him Sil. Pestilence's Lieutenant was an introvert with a commanding voice. He said that he did not like his first name and insisted on only being called Seihara, his surname.

"Why is this meeting being held at the Black Knights' Base? Reapers Headquarters is bigger," Lelouch asked, curious.

"Because Zero invited us. We insisted to have it at HQ, but Zero wouldn't have it, so we just went with him," Death replied with a shrug, "It works out, though, since Chaos needs to pick up Mechlaw."

"Don't you have your own Knightmare technician?"

"Yes, but he's incompetent when it comes to Beast Frames. He's scared of them, actually, and never learned how to work on them, so I have to rely on Euphemia," Chaos answered. She looked over at Euphemia, "I still don't know why you won't join us."

Euphemia crossed her arms indignantly with a sigh, "I like being a Black Knight. I won't change my loyalties just because you ask me to."

"You wouldn't really be changing loyalties," Chaos countered, "Aren't we working toward the same goal?"

"Yes, but I want to follow Zero," Euphemia replied.

"There's nothing to follow with Zero," Chaos argued.

"Chaos, I promised to work for him, and I won't go back on my word," Euphemia said stubbornly, signaling the end of that topic.

The van fell silent, and stayed silent as they approached the Base. They were let out in front of the front doors. Lelouch carried a small bag with him, containing the clothes he had stolen from the room he woke up in. He planned to return them, hoping the room's occupant had not yet noticed their absence. All he needed was an excuse to leave the meeting so he could have time to sneak back into the room.

Euphemia led them all to the former student council room where the meeting was to be held. Tsune Ohgi was already there. She looked up from her computer when they entered. A man was pacing on one side of the room, close to the window. Every few steps, he would look impatiently outside.

The eight seats on one side of the table were obviously for the Reapers. The other side had seven, with one chair at the head of the table. The Reapers sat on the opposite side from Ohgi. C.C. took the chair at the head. Euphemia sat down two spaces from Ohgi.

When everyone was seated, Ohgi looked over at the pacing man and said, "Arin, please calm down, you're going to make the rest of us anxious. I'm sure he'll come." The man stopped pacing to take a moment to glare at Ohgi with hard blue-green eyes.

"What if he's hurt, -- or dead? I would be failing at my job as the Squad Zero Captain if he was. I'm supposed to protect Zero. How am I supposed to protect Zero if he's not here?" the man named Arin snapped, flipping his dark hair out of his eyes. He resumed his pacing.

Ohgi and Euphemia looked at each other. Ohgi shrugged and left Arin to his pacing.

"Raiko's not here?" Euphemia asked Ohgi. The door opened just then.

"I'm here," the man said from the doorway. Arin tensed, expecting Zero, but was disappointed and continued pacing. The one who was supposedly Raiko yawned, "Sorry, I overslept," he said as he took a seat on the other side of Ohgi.

"We have a new Lieutenant. Jinn has… met an early retirement and had to be replaced," Death announced, leaning forward to look at Chaos and Lelouch, suggesting that introductions be made.

Chaos ran a hand through her hair and seemed to glare at Death from behind her sunglasses. "War Reaper Lieutenant, Alan Spacer, meet Tsune Ohgi, deputy commander of the Black Knights, Raiko Sugiyama, head of military, Arin Cardemonde, Squad Zero captain, and you've already met Euphemia, head of research and development," Chaos said, completely uninterested as she pointed to each Black Knight member as she introduced them.

Lelouch shook hands with Raiko and Ohgi from across the table. Arin only nodded and continued to stare out the window, distracted. A Sugiyama descendant Lelouch could see in the Black Knights, but _Cardemonde_… As in _Rivalz_? He was in Kallen's former position as well. Never would he have seen _that_ coming.

"What happened to Jinn, then?" Raiko asked, finally fully awake after a stretch and another yawn.

Chaos sighed, apparently not wanting to explain, but was going to have to eventually. "I was supposed to head a small group to infiltrate and gain information from the New Pendragon. Since my Mechlaw wasn't functioning properly, I sent Jinn in my place. The mission was only scheduled to take three or four days, but day five passed with no word. We couldn't even get in contact with them. So we sent a scout to see if there was trouble. Jinn's Knighmare was found, wreaked, with Jinn still inside, killed in battle. The rest of his group had disappeared. We'll probably hear about negotiations for their release in a few days, if they kept them alive, that is," Chaos explained.

"Sounds like they're trying to send a message, killing off your Lieutenant and taking your subordinates hostage," Ohgi suggested.

"It's very possible," Death agreed, nodding.

"If we're not starting this meeting anytime soon, I'm leaving. This is pointless without Zero present," Chaos stated.

"There's still about five minutes until the actual designated meeting time," Ohgi reported, glancing at the clock on her computer.

"I agree, if Zero is not here in five minutes, then this meeting will be null, and we will leave," Famine said, with a slight, almost unnoticeable accent, "He shouldn't invite us and offer us his hospitality if he, himself, does not attend." It seemed to Lelouch that Famine had the greatest influence among the Reaper Captains. And he was most definitely not Japanese. Neither was Chaos or Death.

"We understand," Raiko replied almost sadly.

At some point, Pestilence had silently gotten up from his seat to join Arin at the window. Pestilence threw an arm around Arin's shoulders with a grin, "Come on, Cardemonde, calm down and have a seat. You're going to stress yourself out from all this worrying," Pestilence said.

Arin shoved him away, "Don't touch me, Tamaki. And stop pretending to be friendly with me. You abandoned the Black Knights because you said you were tired of fighting. Now, look at you. You're a _Reaper Captain_." Arin glared accusingly at Pestilence.

Had he heard right? Pestilence was named Tamaki. Yes, Lelouch could see it, now. He could recognize that personality in Pestilence, cocky and reckless. No wonder he had looked familiar. Pestilence was talking, but Lelouch missed what he said, too absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Shut up, Pest," Chaos said from beside Lelouch, drawing his attention back to the present.

"I feel so loved right now," Pestilence laughed, but he reclaimed his seat, still grinning and unfazed by the insults. Arin turned with a huff to look out the window once again.

The door opened, and a familiar mask and cape came into view.

"Am I late?" the newcomer asked.

"Right on time," Ohgi replied in an awed voice. Arin quietly took a seat next to Euphemia, leaving the seat between him and Raiko empty.

Zero had arrived.

* * *

**A/N: My attempt at a cliffhanger-ness ending… o.o  
*****gasp* Zero is now in the scene! What will happen next?! …**

**I wanted to finish this chapter before Halloween, and I did! I love Halloween, I'm gonna have so much fun! I'm dressing up as a Death Note shinigami =D**

**Review for me! I want to know what you think!**

**I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! …It may be a day or two late. ¬.¬ ...homework and projects... and that stuff....**


End file.
